Acolytes

Acolytes are the torch bearers who walk behind the crucifer in the procession and flank the gospel book during the gospel reading at the 11:15 AM service Sunday services and on feast days.  One of them usually helps prepare the table at the Eucharist.

Advent

Happy New Year!  Advent marks the beginning of the church year and is the four Sundays before Christmas.  It is a time of preparation, of waiting and watching - for the birth of the baby in the manger and for the awaited time of Christ's coming again.  If you come to church here during Advent you won't find the church decked out for Christmas and we won't be singing Christmas carols, either.  We wait, we watch, we prepare.

Ascension Day

Ascension Day is the commemoration of Jesus' return to heaven forty days after Easter.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent.  Ashes are placed on our foreheads as a sign of the frailty and uncertainty of human life, and as a reminder of our need to repent.

Baptism

A sacrament of the church, baptism is the rite of entry into the body of Christ.  Water that has been blessed is poured over the head of the person as they are baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity.  Where once it was mainly for infants, it is now common for those who come to faith as adults to be received into the household of God through baptism.

Bidding

A form of prayer used during the prayers of the people, the intercession is usually introduced with "I bid your prayers for…"

Blessing of Palms

As part of living out the Holy Week story, we begin the Palm Sunday liturgy by blessing the palm branches, which we wave in the same manner as the people who welcomed Jesus on the first Palm Sunday.  We add our chorus of "Hosanna in the Highest," and we recall that the crown of thorns is not far away.

Book of Alternative Services (BAS)

The Anglican Church of Canada has two "service books" - the Book of Common Prayer and the Book of Alternative Services.  The latter is used in this parish.  The BAS contains prayers for the Divine Office (daily prayer), the liturgies of the church (baptism, the Eucharist, weddings and funerals), the "propers" of the church year (the prayers set for each Sunday and feast day), scripture readings appointed for each day, and other occasional prayers and liturgies.

Chalice

The chalice is the vessel that the wine is put into when the communion is being served to the gathered faithful.

Chancel

The space at the very front of the church where the clergy and servers sit is called the Chancel.

Crucifer

A member of the Servers Guild, the crucifer is the person who carries the processional cross in the worship services during the entrance, at the gospel procession and during the recessional.  Sometimes assists in preparing the table at the Eucharist.

Easter/First Eucharist of Easter

This is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.  While the day marks the end of the Holy Week journey it is also the beginning of the journey as we discover anew the stories of Jesus and grow as his faithful disciples.

Entrance Procession

During the hymn at the beginning of many services, the crucifer and two acolytes (if used) lead the assisting clergy and celebrant into the chancel, usually, by way of the centre aisle.

Epiphany

Epiphany is one of the high festivals, or principal feasts, of the church year.  The word comes from the Greek epiphaneia (manifestation).  We remember the story of the wise men, who, led by a star, bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus.  By their act of worship, they show that Jesus came for all people.

Eucharist

Translated from Greek, Eucharist means thanksgiving.  A sacrament of the church, it comes from the Last Supper, when Jesus gave the bread and wine to his disciples and said, "Do this in remembrance of me…" (Luke 22: 14-23; Matthew 26: 26-29; Mark 14: 22-25).  The Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, the Mass are other ways of referring to this sacrament.

The gifts of wine and bread are brought forward, blessed and shared with the gathered faithful.  At the 9:30 AM Sunday service, we gather in a circle around the table when the gifts are presented.  At the 11:15 AM Sunday service, we go to the altar rails after the prayer blessing the gifts.

Evensong/Evening Prayer

Part of the Daily Office (prayers at various times of the day), the liturgy of Evensong, often called Evening Prayer or Vespers, is a time of prayer, quiet meditation on the day’s appointed scripture readings, and hymns.

Garden Watch

At the end of the Maundy Thursday service, the church is plunged into darkness and remains open for a time of silent prayer.  We recall the story of the Jesus going to the garden to pray before he is betrayed.  The disciples who went with him were unable to stay awake - we are invited to wait and watch with Jesus as the darkness grows.

Good Friday

Jesus is betrayed and stands trial.  The crowd shouts, "Crucify him!" and on Golgotha, Jesus is nailed to a cross.  The sky turns dark and his body is laid in a tomb.  We recall all of this through scripture, prayer and the presence of a cross that is placed in the chancel in the midst of the gathering, and the Eucharist.

Gospel Procession

The crucifer and acolytes lead the gospel reader down into the midst of the people for the reading.  The acolytes stand on either side of the gospel book, the light of their candles "illuminating the Word.”

Great Vigil

We gather on Holy Saturday, waiting in the darkness for the Jesus, the light of the world.  The new fire is made, and from it, the Paschal Candle is lit and carried into the church.  The light for that candle is spread to the candles held by the congregation, and the light spreads and grows.  We listen to the stories of God's acts of salvation.  We renew our baptismal covenant and hear the Easter Proclamation:  "Christ is Risen.  Christ is risen, indeed.  Alleluia!"  We celebrate with thanksgiving at the Eucharist.

High Festivals

Specific dates of the church year are high festivals, or principal feasts.  These are Easter, Ascension Day, The Day of Pentecost, Trinity, All Saints Day, Christmas and Epiphany.

Holy Saturday

Please see "Great Vigil".

Holy Week

In the worship services of Holy Week, we journey through the story of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to his betrayal and death, and the celebration of his resurrection with the First Eucharist of Easter.  Please refer to Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday/Great Vigil and Easter for more.

Intercession

During the prayers of the people, the leader will offer prayers for particular concerns.  The members of the gathered community are invited to add their own concerns or situations silently or aloud to these prayers, or intercessions.

Laying on of Hands

Prayers for the healing power of God on a specific person are offered at Sunday morning services on the first Sunday of the month and at other times as requested.  Anointing is usually part of this time of prayer.

Lent

As with Advent, Lent is a season of preparation.  We prepare for the celebration of renewal in the life of faith that is ours through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  It begins with Ash Wednesday where ashes are place on our foreheads as a reminder of our need to repent.  We are invited to enter into Lent with a commitment to penitence, prayer, fasting, reading and meditating on the word of God.  It is usually the time that those who are new to the faith prepare for baptism or to renew their baptismal vows.  The last Sunday of Lent is Palm Sunday.

Liturgy

Quite literally "the work of the people", the liturgy is the worship service.

Maundy Thursday

From the Latin mandatum novum do vobis, the name Maundy Thursday arose.  During the liturgy, the sentence from John 13.34 is often read - "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you."  We gather to hear scripture read, for washing of feet, for the Eucharist.  In the growing darkness as we move toward Good Friday, we strip the church of its finery and prepare for the Garden Watch.

Meditation

Meditation is a spiritual discipline that encourages the participant to go more deeply into their relationship with God through a variety of exercises and prayer techniques.

Mattins/Morning Prayer

Part of the Daily Office (prayers at various times of the day) Morning Prayer, or Mattins as the liturgy is often known as, is a time of prayer, quiet meditation on the appointed scripture readings for the day and hymns.

Palm Sunday

This Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week.  We gather for the Blessing of the Palms and recall the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.  From this very celebratory moment, we begin the journey to the cross.

Paschal Candle

Also known as the Christ Candle, this candle is blessed at the Easter Vigil and lit from the first fire.  It is used at Baptisms, on the Sundays from Easter to Pentecost and at funerals.  This candle reminds us of Christ's resurrection.

Pentecost

This is the celebration of the birth of the Christian church.  Fifty days after Easter, we remember the story of the dove descending on the disciples of Jesus like flames of fire - the dove and flames are quite often used as symbols of Pentecost.  In some places this is also known as Whitsunday.

Recessional

During the singing of the last hymn the servers and clergy leave the chancel in much the same way as they entered, led by the crucifer.

Sidespeople

Also known as greeters, they are the first to welcome you to church.  They will give you a copy of the hymnal and the bulletin, and help you find a seat if needed.  During the 11:15 AM services, they indicate when to move forward for communion.

Taizé

A religious community in Taizé, France, founded by Brother Roger, that developed a style of meditative prayer that includes repetitive songs.  On the fourth and fifth Sundays of the month, we conduct an evening service rooted in this prayer and music tradition, which uses a variety of languages, instrumental accompaniments and candlelight.

Thurifer

Incense is used on Epiphany, at the Easter Vigil and on some feast days.  The thurifer is the person who carries the thurible (the covered brass container on chains that holds the burning incense) in procession and prepares it for the celebrant at the reading of the gospel and for blessing the gifts at the Eucharist.  The cloud of incense that sometimes hangs in the air after censing is often referred to as smoke.

Vespers

Part of the Daily Office (prayers at various times of the day) Vespers, Evensong, or Evening Prayer as the liturgy is often known, is a time of prayer, quiet meditation on the appointed scripture readings for the day, and hymns.

Washing of Feet

John's Gospel says that Jesus, during supper on the night he was betrayed, "got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with a towel that was tied around him."  On Maundy Thursday, we continue this ceremony as a sign and sacrament that we, like Jesus, are here "not to be served but to serve."

There is no reason to think that only The Twelve ate with Jesus that night.  Other disciples could have been present too.  As Jesus washed the feet of everyone in the room, we invite those present for this service to come forward for the ceremony of foot washing.